Anchors & Oceans
by nerdynovelist11
Summary: -Hikari, you must finish what she failed to. Finish what she started.- What happens when it seems like the only thing you're destined for is darkness? DISCONTINUED...SIGH.
1. Summer Days

**A/N: Hey! Welcome to my new fanfic! I'll be working on this one alongside Mind Games. I wasn't planning on trying to write two fanfics again at the same time after that proved to be difficult when I was writing Sweet Misery as well, before I discontinued it. But for some reason, this fanfic was just begging to be written. I had to write it. **

**It features characters from the first two seasons as always and so far only has the couplings of Taiora and Takari, but I might be adding more along the way. (: **

**The anchor idea comes from my best friend Morgan's mind. So, I can't take credit for that, but I did put my own spin on it.**

**I've got most of this fanfic planned out in my mind, which is different from anything I've written before, so I'm hoping this goes well. Let's hope it does. Read on!**

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**Anchors & Oceans**

_Chapter One: Summer Days_

* * *

Something was trying to enter the Digital World and it wouldn't be long before it turned the Digital World upside down and inside out. Darkness couldn't be held off for long, even by the beautiful Digital World which was now restored and peaceful. Digimon roamed happily, providing themselves with food, shelter and friends. It had been almost a year since the last sliver of trouble in the Digital World. An attempt for darkness to prevail was long overdue and for taking too long, the darkness would make up for it in unimaginable ways.

* * *

Hikari "Kari" Yagami took a sip of her lemon flavored ice tea and sighed happily as the warm summer breeze blew through her hair. She smiled across the table at her best friend. Takeru "T.K" Takaishi grinned back and stirred his lemonade with his straw. The two of them had decided to enjoy the first beautiful day of summer at an outdoor café right in Odaiba. School had just been let out. The two had just finished up their freshman year and were looking forward to not being at the bottom of the school's hierarchy next year. Although their first year of high school hadn't been terrible. Kari found that she was able to keep her grades up easier without having to worry about trouble turning up in the Digital World all the time. She was able to concentrate more on her studies and spending time with her friends. Time that didn't involve fighting off evil forces. She was grateful for it. She'd even managed to make the honor roll.

The waiter came and each of them ordered their food, thanking the waiter before he left. "I love summer." Kari breathed, taking in the fresh air. "It's my favorite season to photograph." She grinned, remembering the professional camera her brother Taichi "Tai" Yagami had bought her for her fifteenth birthday. She couldn't wait to use it to get great shots of the beach and sunset. She was planning on taking a photography class next year.

T.K smiled at Kari. His cell phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket, recognizing his brother's voice immediately. The custom ring tone was a song by his band, The Teenage Wolves. He picked it up. "Any luck yet?" He asked his brother.

Yamato "Matt" Ishida sighed through the phone. "Is that any way to greet your brother?" He chuckled. "But yes, mom has agreed to let you miss out on basketball camp this year. I think I convinced her."

"Yes!" T.K cheered. "You have no idea how glad I am about that. I mean, basketball's a great hobby, but everyone at camp takes it so seriously. I got hit in the nose with the ball at least six times last summer. I've never had so many bloody noses in my life."

"Yeah, that was one of the stories I told to mom. Although I may have exaggerated it a little. Told her the guys picked on you because you were skinny and defenseless and they threatened to beat you up, but hey, you're out of it! I'm pretty sure I'm the greatest brother in the world."

T.K shook his head. "Oh, stop your boasting, but thanks." He was overjoyed to not be going to camp. Last summer that was all he had done for those precious months where he didn't have school. He was worked hard. He was always either running laps, doing drills, or scrimmaging other players. It was basketball all the time. He barely got a chance to call Kari. He wanted to spend as much of the summer with her as possible.

"No problem, but aren't you out on a date with Kari? I better let you go. It's rude to keep a girl waiting. Believe me, I know." T.K agreed. Ever since Matt and Sora had broken up due to Matt's hectic schedule and the fact that they didn't seem to have the same feelings anymore, Matt had been dating girl after girl and had trouble balancing his band and his relationships. After a while he decided it was best to stay single. At least for a while.

"No, we just decided to get a bite to eat." T.K corrected him.

"If that's what you want to call it." Matt joked. He laughed a bit more. "I got band practice soon anyway. I'll talk to you later." The brothers exchanged goodbyes and hung up. T.K shoved the phone back into the pocket of his shorts and turned to Kari, who had been waiting patiently. Her iced tea was half way gone now.

"Well, good news. No basketball camp for me. You've got me to yourself for the entire summer." He told her, not being able to hold back his grin.

"Great!" Kari exclaimed. She giggled at his comment. "I don't like sharing you with those basketball players. They got way too much of you last summer. This is my revenge."

T.K always felt at ease with Kari. Her smile could brighten his day. She was always so cheerful, beaming with light. She could put the sun to shame in seconds. T.K was sure of it. He fumbled with the box in his pocket. The box that held everything he'd ever wanted to tell her inside. Confined in the tiny black box was a dazzling silver anchor necklace. Engraved on the anchor in fine black lettering was a tiny message. It read, 'Hikari, I'll always be your anchor. Love, Takeru.' When he had seen it in Odaiba's jewelry store, he knew it was perfect for her. The anchor represented the relationship they had. T.K could recall all the times she'd struggled just over a little year and a half ago with the Dark Ocean trying to reel her in to it's icy depths and how he had always been there, determined to keep her ashore. In a sense, he was her anchor. He would never let her be pulled out to sea. He loved her and this was how he planned to show her. He'd saved up for it all school year, earning money any way he could. He just needed the perfect time to give it to her, although for some reason this moment didn't seem right. He'd hold onto it for a little while longer.

The two friends ate their lunch, discussing summer plans and those of their siblings. Everything seemed so simple and serene. It was comforting, but all good things must come to an end, right?

* * *

Tai was sprawled on the couch in the living room of his apartment, his eyes glued to the television screen. His favorite soccer team was playing and he couldn't miss a single second of it. He was arguing with the sports announcers about a penalty when his phone rang. He picked it up blindly, not checking who it was and mumbled a greeting.

"Did I interrupt something?" A feminine voice asked. A voice Tai was surprised to hear. It belonged to Mimi Tachikawa. It had been over six months since he last heard from her, or maybe he had received emails and just hadn't replied. Sometimes Mimi was hard to talk to. She'd send him page long emails and Tai could only muster a few words in response. "Because that's not exactly the greeting I was hoping for."

Another voice spoke before Tai even got the chance to open his mouth to reply. "He's watching soccer. The big game's on today. His brain turns to mush when he watches it." The girl had a somewhat lower voice than Mimi, but still feminine. Tai could practically hear her smiling through the phone. Sora Takenouchi.

Tai still kept his eyes on the television as Mimi spoke again, quickly after Sora had finished. "Soccer, right." She giggled. "Well, I'm at the Odaiba Airport and Sora's the only one who knew I was coming. She's going to come pick me up, but she says she has trouble finding the airport. We called you to ask if you'd go with her."

Tai nodded, half listening. Then he realized that they couldn't see him. "Wait, what?!" He exclaimed. "I can't leave in the middle of this game! It's crucial that I watch it!"

Sora sighed. "Tai, you know the way to the airport better than I do. Please?"

Normally, Tai would do anything for Sora, but this was soccer she was telling him to give up. "Sora," He whined. "I can't. I need to watch this. Can't you call Matt or somebody else?"

"Matt's at band practice." Sora replied. "And besides, you're my best friend, you're supposed to do stuff like this for me."

"When is he not at band practice?" Tai scowled as his favorite team got penalized again. He fought the urge to curse at the television. "Call Izzy or Joe. I'm busy!"

"Busy watching soccer? Tai, Izzy's probably engaged in creating new technology and Joe's probably writing an essay. I think it's safe to say that you are way more available than either of them."

"Why would Joe write an essay in the summer?" I questioned. "And are you trying to imply that watching soccer is a waste of time? Would you rather me create a software that will make Bill Gates cry or write some stupid essay on the history of Band-aids? Come on, Sora. You love soccer just as much as I do." He realized that he had turned away from the television for a second and heard cheers erupting. Figures when he turned away, someone would score. He sat up and the remote fell to the ground, turning off the television. He began shouting various profanities as he picked up the remote and turned back on the television. Now it was on a commercial. Great. "Sora, you just made me miss a goal!" But then he realized that there was no longer anybody on the phone. They had hung up with him. He sighed and concentrated on the game once more.

* * *

Sora arrived minutes later, walking right into his apartment as if she lived there. She kicked off her shoes politely and walked into the living room where her bushy haired friend was lounged on the couch, his eyes not once leaving the large rectangle that was the television screen. He was so indulged in the game that he hadn't even noticed her walk in. She walked in front of the television, blocking his view and then turned it off. "I'm your intervention." She smirked, crossing her arms. "We're going to the airport." She tossed him her keys. "And you're driving."

He glared at her. "I somehow knew when you hung up on me, you hadn't given up." He groaned as Sora pulled him up off of the couch. "Fine, I'll go. Just let go of my arm. Your nails are digging into my skin." He pulled himself free and went to collect his shoes from the entryway. Sora followed and slipped her feet into her sandals.

Tai couldn't help but notice how nice Sora looked, although it was obvious that she didn't try too hard. She wore the faintest hint of make-up, a pair of cut off jean shorts with holes in the knees, and a red tank top. Her ginger hair had been grown out so it almost touched her shoulders, but not quite and a tiny hair clip finished off her appearance. The tiny hairclip that Tai had given her for her birthday that she had at first hated because she thought he was insulting her when he only meant well. She had grown to love it and wore it as often as she could. He felt a tiny smile tugging at his lips as Sora put her hand on the doorknob to leave. "What?" She asked, feeling his eyes on her.

"Nothing." Tai replied innocently. He followed her out the door. "You just look nice, that's all." He added as they made their way to her car. A small blush crept onto her cheeks and Tai linked arms with her. "May I escort you to your car, miss?" Tai was in a pretty good mood considering he was missing his precious soccer game, but maybe it was because Sora just put him in that kind of a mood. They shared a laugh and Tai opened the passenger side door for her. She climbed inside.

"Why thank you," She joked as Tai shut the door and walked around the car to get into the driver's seat, while Sora fumbled with the radio tuner. When he got in and started the car, he found that Sora had selected the station in which was playing his soccer game. He beamed at her and put the car in drive.

"It's the least I could do," She said with a shrug as they pulled away from the apartment building to go to the airport. That was why Sora was his best friend.

* * *

Tai and Sora had found Mimi almost immediately upon arriving at the airport. She was unmistakable with her pink hair and bright clothes. Today Mimi happened to be sporting a pink strapless mini dress and a pair of black heels. Her hair was in a ponytail, loose strands of pink hair framing her blemish free face. She wore mascara and eye shadow. They rejoiced with hugs and questions of what each other had been up to. Then they had gotten Mimi's abundant amount of luggage and headed back to the car. Mimi sat in the back, while Tai and Sora resumed their positions. "So, Mimi." Tai said as he drove. "Where are you staying?"

"With Sora. It's all been arranged." Mimi replied, happily. She yawned. She was glad to be off of that plane. It'd been a long flight.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Mimi suggested that we get all of the digidestined together tomorrow and spend a day at the beach. Doesn't that sound fun?" The soccer game had ended while they had been in the airport and it irked Tai a little that he didn't know the final score.

"Sounds great," Tai said, putting on his blinker. "We all need a day to just hang out, don't we? Something that doesn't involve us battling evil Digimon. Not that that's happened in a while. It's been almost a year, but I'm definitely up for it. We'll round up everyone, even Matt. He can miss one band practice."

Tai concentrated on driving the rest of the way home, listening to Mimi and Sora chatter about their lives. Tai was pleased to hear his name come up several times as Sora spoke.

He drove himself home and then Sora took the wheel after thanking him once more for tagging along even if it had been against his own free will. He walked in the apartment and kicked off his shoes. Kari and T.K were sitting on the living room floor playing a riveting game of Monopoly. "Hey," Kari said, looking up from the game board at her brother. "Where have you been? I thought you'd be watching the game."

"I was," Tai said, emphasizing that it had been past tense. "Sora kidnapped me to go pick up Mimi from the airport. She's staying here for the summer."

"I didn't know she was coming for a visit." T.K said, moving his pawn around the board.

"Me neither." Tai told him. "I guess Sora was the only one who knew. Mimi and Sora have plans to gather up everyone and go to the beach for the day tomorrow. Are you guys in?"

"Definitely!" Kari said. "I just bought a new bikini."

"I'm in." T.K smiled. "Sounds like a fun way to kick off the summer."

Tai nodded, turning on the television to check for the score of the soccer game. His team had lost five to four. He groaned and shut it off, retreating to his room. But Tai's favorite soccer team losing was nothing compared to what would be happening soon. The Digi-Destined's relaxing and enjoyable summer wasn't going to last long.

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**A/N: Reviews are extremely welcome. They encourage me to keep writing. Tell me what you think. I love hearing opinions on my writing.**

**Oh, and yes I do know that this chapter mainly focused on Kari, T.K, Tai and Sora. Mimi and Matt had minor parts, but let me assure you that this fanfic is going to involve all of the characters and they will all be present in the next chapter. (: I must say I'm beginning to love this fanfic already. Do you? Let me know with a review! Click that button!**


	2. Beach Party Turned Dark

**A/N: Welcome to chapter two of Anchors & Oceans! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! Here's another chapter for all of you! It features all of the Digi Destined and this is where the plot starts to come in more. (: Enjoy!**

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****Anchors & Oceans**

_Chapter Two: Beach Party Turned Dark_

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_Matt sat in the living room of his mother's apartment strumming his guitar. "Yamato, Takeru! Dinner!" She yelled from the kitchen. Matt put his guitar down gently and sauntered into the tiny dining room where he found his mother and T.K sitting. He'd spent the day with them and was staying over night. T.K was scooping helpings of potatoes and meat loaf onto his plate which looked surprisingly edible. He sat down in the only open chair and helped himself as well.

"Mom, you're getting to be a better cook." T.K said, with a mouthful of potatoes.

Mrs. Takaishi smiled at her son. "Thanks. I guess all of those cooking shows I've been watching are paying off." She laughed.

Matt took a bite and swallowed. _Definitely not bad,_ he thought. His father always cooked T.V dinners or burned the food when he actually tried to cook something good. Matt had learned to just fend for himself, but this was tasty.

T.K took another bite of potatoes and chewed. "So, Matt, did you hear about the plans for the beach tomorrow? All of us are getting together and spending the entire day there. Sounds fun, right?" He stabbed meat loaf with his fork.

Matt moved his food around on his plate, avoiding eye contact. "Yeah, sounds fun. I have band practice though, T.K. I can't go."

T.K's smile fell and was replaced by a frown. "Does your damn band have to practice every hour of every freaking day? I mean, you can't take one day of practice off and come hang out with your friends that you practically never talk to anymore?"

Matt flinched, his words stinging. "It's not like that. I've just got to devote my time. We're working towards getting a record deal. I need to work hard."

"You are working hard." T.K told him. "Hard enough to take a break. Do you really not want to hang out with us? Are you avoiding us by using band practice as an excuse?"

"No!" Matt defended himself.

"And you don't have band practice all day, do you?" T.K was cutting his brother into a corner.

"No," Matt answered, playing with his food.

"Exactly. You're coming to the beach, Matt. Unless you can give me one good reason why you cannot." T.K was determined. Nothing was stopping him. He knew that there was something strange going on with his brother, but doubted he'd tell him if he asked.

"You can't order me around." Matt said, slamming down his fork. "Last time I checked, I was two years older than you."

"Well, I think I've pulled ahead ever since you started acting like a child and ignoring everyone!" T.K spat back.

"Enough," Mrs. Takaishi said softly, but loud enough so both boys heard it. "We're together for a night and you're just sitting here bickering. Enjoy your dinner and talk about this afterwards." Matt and T.K fell silent and finished their dinner, the only sound being the silverware hitting the plates.

* * *

"Can everyone go?" Sora asked Mimi, sitting down next to her on the floor of her bedroom. Sora's bedroom had light blue walls. Pictures lined the walls. Snapshots of her life. There were an abundance of photos of her and Tai, some of her and Matt, group photos of the entire Digi-Destined, a few candids of her and Mimi, even a few of her and Kari. Medals and ribbons from soccer and tennis hung as well and a few trophies sat on shelves. Her queen size bed had a blue and green pastel comforter and her nightstand had a few candles and a good book she had been reading on top of it, along with her alarm clock. Sora always felt comfortable in her bedroom. It put her at ease.

Mimi looked up from the fashion magazine she had purchased at the airport. "Mostly. Yolei took off work, Joe is taking a break from his summer assignments, Izzy agreed to go as long as he could bring his laptop, Tai already agreed as you know and told me that T.K and Kari are all for it, and Cody and Davis are in. Ken can even come. He's taking the subway from Tamachi."

"You're forgetting someone." Sora said, knowing exactly who it was. "Matt. Can he come?"

"T.K's supposed to be asking him tonight." Mimi replied. "Although I'm not so sure Matt will want to come. He seems so caught up with that band of his that he can't even hang out with us. It just doesn't seem right without one of us there, but what are we going to do? We can't force him to come." She turned the page on her magazine. "It's tough to get us all together these days. The least he could do is attend when everyone else is. He could miss one band practice."

"Yeah…" Sora agreed. Maybe he didn't want to come because of her? Sora didn't think that she and Matt were on bad terms. The break up had been pretty clean. There had been arguments, but she thought they had all been resolved. "He's been acting distant to us all lately. He's so concentrated on getting a record deal. He's overworking himself. He needs to have some fun."

"Right you are." Mimi said. "I came all the way from America to have a good time and I will. Even if I don't get to see the blonde rock star." She sighed. She hadn't seen Matt in a long while and he never returned her calls or emails. The rock star must have been too busy.

* * *

"Mimi's here?" Matt asked, incredulously. He and T.K were sitting in T.K's bedroom, having finished dinner.

"Yes. She flew all the way from America and she planned this beach get together herself. I think it'd break her heart if you didn't go." T.K told him, trying to pull the guilt trip. Normally T.K didn't use these tactics, but Matt deserved it. And he was being inconsiderate by not going when all of his friends were finally going to be together.

"T.K, I've got way too much work to do. I've got lyrics to write, guitars to tune, calls to make. I don't have time for this…" Matt was totally and completely devoted to his band. After he and Sora had broken up because of it, his band sort of became his girlfriend in some weird twisted way. He spent all of his time concentrating on his music. It was the most important thing to him. He'd gotten so swept into it, that he'd forgotten he had a life outside of it. He hadn't been home much at all and was beginning to become like his father who was constantly at work. Was Matt a work-o-holic? He groaned. He sometimes wouldn't sleep, spending restless hours with his guitar and notebook, trying to inspire himself to write a new song.

"Take a break. It's one day, Yamato." T.K told him bitterly. "I'm calling Mimi and telling her you agreed to go, because you are going to go. Right?"

Matt cringed at the use of his full name and gave in. "Fine, fine. I guess I could use a break." That and he would actually feel bad, having not gone because Mimi took it upon herself to come visit.

"Great," T.K smiled, having gotten what he wanted. "It'll be fun." He took out his cell phone and dialed Mimi's number. "Mission accomplished. Rock star has taken the bait." He joked, receiving a hit over the head with Matt's song book. "See, you have a problem, Matt. You even use your music to hurt people!" Matt rolled his eyes as T.K finished up his phone call and hung up the phone. The two brothers got ready for bed and T.K fell asleep almost instantly. Matt lay awake for hours, scribbling lyrics that came to him in his song book before finally succumbing to sleep.

* * *

Kari sat up in bed, stretching. She climbed out of bed, dressed in pink pajama shorts and a white tank top and made her way into Tai's room. She'd been doing this for years. She had to be Tai's own personal alarm clock, considering he slept through his own. "Time to get up, Tai! We have to be at Sora's in two hours and counting."

Tai moaned, rolling over and chucking a pillow at Kari, who skillfully avoided it. "I don't need two hours to prepare for the beach." He mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow his head was face down in. "Wake me up in an hour." Kari had been specifically told by Tai himself not to let him protest or try to get more sleeping time.

"Nope. You need to get out of bed now. Your orders. Just doing my job." She laughed and flipped on his stereo which started blasting some loud bad country song. Tai hated country music. This resulted in Kari getting another pillow thrown at her. This time it fell short, falling to her feet. She giggled. "Okay, so I've tried to wake you up gently, I've blasted your least favorite kind of music, want me to take it to the third step?"

Tai knew all too well what the third step was. Kari would pour ice cold water over him. It had happened once before when Tai wouldn't wake up for a soccer game. He didn't want to experience it again. Just thinking about it made him shiver. He sat up in bed, throwing yet another pillow at Kari. This time it went past her and knocked over a photo frame that had been sitting on his desk. He heard the glass shatter and jumped out of bed. "Shit," he cursed, looking at all the tiny broken pieces of glass that made up the frame. The picture had fallen out and was laying face up on the floor. It was a photo of him and Sora holding the soccer trophy their team had won triumphantly in the air. The photo was from when they were eleven and Sora had gotten it enlarged and put in that frame for his birthday a few years ago. "Sora's going to kill me." He groaned.

"I'll get the broom." Kari said, walking out into the hall to retrieve it. When she returned with the broom and a dust pan, Tai was sitting on the floor picking up the broken glass in his hands. "What are you doing?" Kari questioned. "Baka!" She shook her head at him.

"You were taking too long." Tai shrugged and flinched when a piece of glass cut his hand. He swore and looked up at Kari. "Fine, we can use your stupid broom and dustpan. I'm going to get in the shower before I cause any more damage to objects or to myself."

"Probably a good idea," Kari muttered, cleaning up the glass and emptying it into the trash can. When she finished, she put the broom and dust pan away. She grabbed a photo frame she wasn't using from her bedroom and put the picture of Tai and Sora inside, propping it up on Tai's desk again, even though he'd probably break that one next week throwing pillows when she tried to get him out of bed. She sighed. That was her brother.

* * *

Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya was standing at the subway station dressed in his blue swimming trunks and a red t-shirt, rocking back and fourth on his heels and playing a hand held game. He was waiting for his closest friend, Ken Ichijouji to arrive on the subway. The two of them would get picked up by Tai and Kari from there and drive to Sora's house together where they would depart to the beach. He was too into his game that he didn't realize Ken step out of the subway. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder that held necessities for a day at the beach and was dressed in a pair of black swimming trunks with a dark blue t-shirt. He walked over to Davis and shook his head. He looked so indulged in his video game. "Davis," He said, determined to bring him back to earth. "Davis!"

"Oh, Ken! There you are!" He pocketed his hand held game. The two friends walked out of the subway station together and sat on a bench, waiting for the Kamiya siblings. Davis stretched out on the bench, slouching. "So, how's life in Tamachi?"

Ken shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

If there was anyone who could tell that something was wrong with Ken, it was Davis. No matter how thickheaded he seemed. The look in Ken's eyes and the tone of his voice. It was evident. "Ken, what's up?" He'd been through a lot with Ken. After Ken had returned to his true self after the whole Digimon Emperor charade, Davis had been the first to forgive him and accept him as a friend. He believed Ken was good and he'd been right. Ken was his DNA digivolving partner. They were connected by that and so much more. He knew Ken deserved the crest of Kindness.

"Sitting here, but aren't we both?" Ken said, staring out into the traffic blankly.

Davis shook his head. "No. I mean, what's wrong?"

"Oh," Ken mumbled. That was all he said for a minute. The seconds ticked past and Davis didn't know if he should press on any further. But then he spoke. "I've just got this feeling. It's…unsettling."

"Like you just ate one too many tacos?" Davis questioned, half joking and half serious. He knew the feeling all too well.

"No," Ken shook his head, almost laughing at his idiotic friend. "That nagging feeling that something isn't right."

Davis was puzzled. "Well, don't listen to it." He smiled. "We're going to the beach for the day with all of our friends. Everything is right. Well, unless while we're there we see old men in Speedos. Now that, my friend, is wrong."

Ken laughed. He couldn't tell if it was a real laugh, or if it was simply forced. "You're right, Davis. I've just got to concentrate on having a good time. I think I've been away from all of you guys for way too long." It was true. Living in Tamachi made it more difficult for him to see his friends.

At that moment, Tai and Kari pulled up in Tai's red Wrangler Jeep. Kari sat in the passenger seat, wearing her light pink bikini under a pair of shorts and a tank top. She was holding a beach bag and wearing sunglasses. "Sorry we're late! Tai couldn't find his swimming trunks even though I told him to find them the night before!" She laughed her contagious giggle while Tai rolled his eyes.

Davis and Ken climbed into the backseat and Tai drove to Sora's. He was wearing aviator sunglasses, his orange swim trunks, and a t-shirt from soccer camp. He looked at Ken in the rear view mirror. "How are things in Tamachi?" He asked him, having not seen him in a while.

Ken sighed. "I swear you and Davis are connected by the brain."

"Why do you say that?" Tai asked, perplexed.

"He asked me that exact same question ten minutes ago." Ken replied and then stared out the window. "It's been good. I just wish I could live closer to all of you."

Tai nodded to himself, understanding the situation. Minutes later, Sora's apartment building came into view. Tai parked in front and they all grabbed their things and headed inside.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and Sora got up to answer it. She opened it and sent Tai a playful glare. "Couldn't get out of bed again this morning?" She asked with her arms crossed, as Ken and Davis headed inside. Kari trailed behind them.

"We're only ten minutes late." He said, walking inside.

Sora shut the door behind him and sighed. "You're still late. And I'm a little irked, unless this is somehow Davis's fault. Although, I doubt it. You were driving. Davis was just supposed to meet Ken at the subway. Did Ken arrive on time?"

"Yeah, just relax Sora. We're here now. That's what matters!" He threw an arm around her and guided her to the living room where the rest of the Digi-Destined were gathered. Jou "Joe" Kido was sitting in an arm chair, with Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi and Iori "Cody" Hida perched on the two arms of the chair. Izzy was holding his laptop protectively. Kari, Davis and Ken had taken seats next to T.K on the couch. Miyako "Yolei" Inoue sat cross-legged on the floor, holding a bag of snacks from her convenience store. Mimi was standing before them, grabbing Sora's arm and dragging her away from Tai. Everybody was dressed in beach attire.

"That's everyone!" Mimi announced. "We need to figure out how the twelve of us are getting there. Obviously we can't all fit into one car." Tai's eyes searched the room for the one face he didn't see. His eyes landed on him standing in the corner, leaning up against the wall. He walked over, a goofy grin plastered to his face.

"Look who decided to join us!" Tai cooed, ruffling Matt's hair. Matt slapped his hand away.

"Shut the hell up." Matt muttered.

Tai turned away, offended. "Someone's in a bad mood." He walked away from the blonde and over to the arm chair, where he sat on Joe's lap.

"Tai!" Joe yelped, trying to push him off. "Can't you sit on the floor?"

"Sorry Joe! I'm the leader. I certainly cannot sit on the cold hard floor. Besides, you're much more comfy than a couch." He chuckled as Joe continued to struggle beneath him.

Someone cleared their throat. Tai's laughing stopped abruptly as he looked up to see Mimi and Sora glaring at him. "We're trying to figure this out. We want to get going. So, stop using Joe as furniture." Mimi scolded him.

"Sorry," Tai mumbled sheepishly and slid to the floor. He sat down by Yolei. "Go on."

Sora smiled at Tai and turned to everyone. "Three of us will drive. I'll be one and I figured the others could be Tai and Izzy since they seem to have their cars here."

Mimi nodded. "Sounds like a good plan! Yolei, Kari and I will go with Sora." She smiled, her vibrant grin that seemed to light up the world. Mimi was always smiling and if she wasn't you knew there was something wrong. "Tai, you can take Davis, Ken, and Mr. Crabby Rock Star." Matt scowled at her. "Izzy, you get T.K, Cody and Joe. Any questions?"

Davis raised his hand and Mimi politely pointed to him like a teacher did to a student. "Yes, Davis?"

"How come I'm stuck with the reckless driver?" Davis asked.

"I am not a reckless driver!" Tai yelled, coming to his own defense.

Mimi giggled. "Because somebody has to." She replied simply. "Let's go!" She picked up her pink beach bag and put on her sunglasses, walking out the door of the apartment. The others were silent for a minute, before everyone got up and grabbed their things, filing through the door. Sora was the last one out, locking the door behind her, when a voice came from the inside.

"Hey!" Sora's lips curved into a smile as she opened the door to spot Tai running frantically to the door. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, Tai. I thought everybody was out."

"Excuses, excuses. You did that on purpose!" He joked, walking past her and down the hall to catch up with everybody else. Sora smirked and locked her door once again, then went to join the others.

* * *

T.K was lounged in the backseat of Izzy's silver Impala with Cody, fidgeting with the box that contained the anchor necklace he'd been waiting to give to Kari. Was tonight the perfect time? At the café it hadn't been. Maybe he could get her alone at the beach and give it to her. He wanted it to all happen at the right moment.

"What's that?" A voice asked. It was Cody. He was looking at him curiously. T.K had almost forgotten that Cody was in the car, sitting right next to him. This made Joe turn around.

"Yeah, what have you got there, T.K?" Joe asked, looking back at him and adjusting his glasses. He'd gotten shotgun.

T.K looked up. "Huh? Oh, it's just…something." A blush crept up his cheeks and he fumbled with the box, trying to put it back in his backpack.

Joe smiled and shook his head. "By your reaction I'd say it's for Kari." T.K's blush deepened. "Is it jewelry?"

T.K nodded. "Yeah, a necklace. I'm waiting for the perfect time to give it to her." Joe was very perceptive.

"Oh, well I'm sure you'll know when it's the perfect time. Sometimes the perfect time, is really so un-perfect that you can't help but think it is perfect." He explained.

T.K's face crumpled into confusion. "Come again?" He asked, laughing slightly.

"I guess I could have worded it better." Joe said, thinking it over. "What I mean is that, sometimes the perfect moment is the moment you overlook. You have in your mind exactly how you want it to happen, but sometimes it's perfect when you just let it happen on its own. You know?"

"Yeah, I get it." T.K said, turning the box over in his hands. "Thanks Joe."

"No problem." He turned back around in his seat, smiling. "Kari's the most kindhearted person I know. She'll appreciate it no matter what." T.K silently agreed, knowing Joe was right. That's why Kari meant so much to him.

Izzy addressed T.K this time. "T.K, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on with your brother? He seems a bit…" He struggled to find the right word. "Cantankerous."

T.K was once again completely baffled. "Uhm, if that word means angry, annoyed, or argumentative, then yes. He's very cantankerous." Sometimes T.K wondered how Izzy knew these strange words. He seemed like the type to have a dictionary on his bed side table. "His band currently takes priority. He's eerily obsessed with it. Sometimes he doesn't sleep."

"You mean like how Izzy obsesses over his laptop?" Joe asked seriously and Cody laughed.

"I do not obsess." Izzy stated. "It's just very important to me."

"Worse. He sleeps with his song book." T.K said. "I really think he needs a break. I practically had to force him to come. It was a real battle. Hopefully he loses the attitude today and has fun." He looked out the window as the beach came into view.

* * *

The beach had proved to be fun for the Digi-Destined. They were enjoying their time. Mimi and Yolei were tanning on a large blanket and catching up with each other. Izzy sat near them with his laptop. Nobody knew what he could possibly doing without internet. Probably solitaire? Kari, T.K, Sora, and Tai were in the water having a chicken fight. Joe and Cody were the referees. Ken and Davis were throwing a football back and fourth in the water, having decided that they were much better at soccer than football. However, one of them was not having a good time, although perhaps he would if he tried to.

Matt was sitting in the sand with his songbook, pulling at his hair. He needed to figure out the next lyric. He had scribbled out many attempts and was beginning to think that he couldn't write another song. That him being able to write good songs once before was simply just luck and now it was gone, leaving him empty handed. If he wasn't a musician then what was he? The words musician and rock star were commonly associated with him. Without music, he felt as if he had nothing. That he was no one.

Suddenly, a shadow cast in front of him on the sand, blocking the sun. He looked up to see Tai, his hair no longer bushy. The mop was simply drenched, which made him look different. He was glaring at the blonde. "You're serious, Yamato?" He said angrily. "You're going to sit here by yourself with that damn song book the entire time we're here?" Matt didn't reply. He looked back down at his song book, reading over the lyrics, desperately trying to ignore Tai. He wrenched the book away from Matt, making him get to his feet angrily.

"Tai, would you stop trying to pick a fight?" Matt practically yelled. "Just leave me alone. Give me my song book back."

"I'm not picking a fight. This is your intervention. You're ignoring everybody. You've barely said a word to Mimi and she came all the way from New York and set this up for all of us. Why the hell did you even bother coming if you're just going to spend your time here doing what you always do? You isolate yourself from everybody. Do you like spending every minute of your life alone?"

Matt was about to retaliate with a punch to the face when Sora grabbed his arm. She'd been watching from the water and left the others to go figure out what was going on. "Yamato," She said in the hardest voice she could.

"Let me go, Sora." Matt clenched his teeth. "Let me wipe that smirk right off Tai's face."

Sora kept a firm grip on his arm. "Tai, why don't you let me talk to him? Your tactics never seem to work quite right." She shooed him away and Tai reluctantly left, handing the song book to Sora. He wondered how and if Sora would get through to him. He decided to start a game of volleyball and called everybody to the net.

Sora let go of Matt's wrist, still holding the song book out of his reach in her other hand. "Yamato," She began again and Matt interrupted.

"Would everyone stop calling me by my full name?" He snapped, cowering away from Sora.

"Matt, I don't know exactly what Tai said to you, but I'm sure I would agree. We came here together for a reason. To be together. I don't understand why you're so reluctant to join us."

Matt avoided looking her in the eyes. Those crimson eyes. They were so easy to give in to. You could see the compassion in them. You wanted to fall into them. You'd get lost; you'd drown. "I've just got a lot of work to do…"

"That work can wait. Today, you're spending time with us." She told him, handing him back his song book. "Now, go put this back in your bag and come play volleyball with us."

"I know what you mean, Sora. I mean…I do want to spend time with you guys-"

She cut him off. "Then start acting like it. Come on, go put that book away."

Matt nodded, obeying and walked towards the blanket where his bag was. He tucked the song book inside, feeling as if he was departing with his soul, which seemed a bit dramatic to him. He sauntered over to the volleyball net where everyone was gathered and arguing about who should be on what team. Sora had joined them. Matt sighed, walking into the argument. "Alright. I'll be a captain. Who's on my team?" He put on a smile and tried to make the best of his time at the beach with his friends. Maybe it'd make a lot of his stress disappear for a while.

* * *

After a riveting game of volleyball and Matt's team being victorious over Tai's, everyone retired to sitting around the fire that Izzy and Cody started. They were all sitting on the logs, the orange-red glow of the fire lighting up their faces. They talked of all their great memories, reminiscing on the past.

At some point, T.K nudged Kari gently. "Want to go for a walk?" He asked her.

"Sure," She replied and the two stood up and left the group, right in the middle of Sora's story of a day when Tai fell out of a tree.

Sora's voice, Tai's protests, and the groups laughter faded as they got further down the shore. The waves crashed up on to the sand, over their feet. T.K smiled over at her. In his pocket was the tiny box with the necklace. Was this the moment?

"Today was fun," Kari offered, starting a conversation.

"It was." T.K agreed. Well, mostly, once his brother had seemed to lighten up and join the party. "I'm glad we all got together. We needed this, you know?" He dug his toes into the sand.

Kari smiled. "Yeah. It's great to see everyone together again. And you even managed to beat Tai a few times in the chicken fights. I was impressed." She giggled. T.K noticed how the warm summer breeze blew her short brown hair into her eyes and how she brushed it away.

T.K blushed a little. "Thanks." He said, looking at her. They'd both stopped walking, the waves continuing to crash onto their feet. "Kari," He began, hesitantly. He felt the box in his pocket. He looked out into the ocean and Kari turned to look as well. He just needed a little inspiration. He was going to start bringing up how he was her anchor and how he knew that was why he felt he was alive, to keep her grounded. But he couldn't get the words out.

Joe's words rang in his head. _"__What I mean is that, sometimes the perfect moment is the moment you overlook. You have in your mind exactly how you want it to happen, but sometimes it's perfect when you just let it happen on its own. You know?"_ T.K did know and he also knew that he was trying too hard to make this perfect. He was supposed to just let it happen. It couldn't be forced. He turned back towards her with newly found confidence. "You know when you see something and it just reminds you of somebody?" He asked, letting his question hang in the air.

"Yeah," Kari said, nodding.

"And then how there are things that remind you of your relationship with somebody else?" T.K questioned.

_Hikari,_ Voices whispered over and over. They overlapped one another, sending Kari into a frenzy. _Discover who you really are…_

T.K saw the look on Kari's face. The fear written on her features as she seemed to be concentrating on something else entirely. What was going on? When she cried out, he reached out, grabbing her hand on instinct. "Kari, what's wrong?" He was immediately alert.

_Hikari, _it whispered again. Kari barely heard T.K. She couldn't concentrate on his words anymore. She was completely frightened. Her lip quivered. The scream she wanted to get out got caught in her throat. "T.K, make it stop!" She managed to yell, feeling his touch, but not feeling attached to the world anymore. She felt as if she was fading. She squeezed her eyes shut, begging for the voices to leave. _Come Hikari…_

T.K shook her violently. "Kari, snap out of it! Kari!" He didn't understand what was going on and he felt helpless, as if he couldn't do anything about whatever was going on. Was he really her anchor? Or a pathetic excuse for one? Made out of plastic instead of iron.

* * *

Kari opened her eyes. She couldn't see T.K anymore. She couldn't see the other Digi-Destined back at the bonfire or the calming ocean and sand on the beach. She was in a world of gray. A dark world that she never wished to enter again and knew that she couldn't conquer alone. The Dark Ocean before her stretched on for miles. _Hikari, you're here._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: I had to refresh my memory by watching the episodes where the darkness took Kari to the dark ocean to fully understand how to write it. This was a longer chapter. Longer than most. How about you tell me what you liked about this in a review? I love opinions!**


	3. Darkness Has a Voice

**A/N: Welcome to chapter three of Anchors & Oceans! Sorry it's taken a while. I got a job and then school started! And it's just been chaotic! Just like this chapter! Thanks for your wonderful reviews! **

* * *

**Anchors & Oceans**

_Chapter Three: Darkness Has a Voice_

* * *

Cries of the child of Light's name echoed across the beach. The bearer of Hope felt broken and useless. He had let Kari fade away. He let the darkness take her. Just as he had a little over a year ago when he'd refused to deal with her. He walked away. He didn't help her, when he should have. He clenched the box in his pocket so tightly he thought his hand would crush it. He was supposed to be Kari's anchor and he let her drift away.

He ran into the cold ocean water as if it would take him to where Kari was, but it did nothing of the sort. The waves just crashed up on him, threatening to knock him over.

* * *

The Digi Destined heard T.K's yells and rushed over, abandoning the fire. Davis and Ken got there first, skidding to a stop in the sand by their friend. "What happened?" Davis asked, urgently.

Ken had a strange feeling just seconds before T.K started screaming Kari's name, as if a dark force was near and trying to penetrate a wall. That wall, must have been a wall Kari had put up to keep out those who weren't welcome, like the powers of darkness. Somehow, they'd knocked her wall down. _How?_ Kari had become strong. Ken had thought that the both of them were now immune to the powers of darkness. Now they were back with renewed strength? Thoughts of worry invaded his mind.

"They took Kari!" T.K yelled. Hysteria was taking over. He wanted Kari back on this beach with him. She wasn't safe. He wanted her to be in his arms, where she belonged. Davis and Ken stepped forward and dragged him out of the water. T.K thrashed against them. He needed to go after Kari. If only he knew how…

"Who is they?" Mimi asked, watching T.K with concerned eyes.

Tai pushed his way to the front of everyone, hearing what T.K said and taking it like a dagger to the heart. "Again?" He breathed. He'd heard of what had happened to Kari. She had told him about it after it all happened. They had sat in his bedroom eating cookies and milk while she shared this dark story of hers. Tai only wished he could have been there for her.

"Again," T.K replied, his voice breaking. Ken and Davis were still holding his arms.

Yolei fidgeted uncomfortably, standing beside Mimi. She knew where Kari had been taken and by what. She'd been there with Ken and Kari and it was one of the worst things she'd ever experienced. The darkness had its ways of getting to you and making you feel like nothing; like you were useless and didn't matter. It took your fears and multiplied them. It overtook you once you were unable to sustain it any longer. Kari was one of its favorite prisoners. She looked over at Ken, wondering what was running through his head at the moment. Surely he was scared. The place he feared the most was back again and had took Kari. Did that mean that soon Ken would be taken away as well?

"Look," Joe began. "Let's be rational about this. T.K, please explain what happened. What did you see?"

"That's just it, Joe. I didn't see anything!" T.K said, breaking free from Davis and Ken. The expression on her face and how she told him to make it stop wouldn't leave his mind. "She was in front of me one minute and the next, she wasn't. She wasn't herself. The darkness was seeping over her and she was trying to fight it, but she couldn't." He willed away the tears that threatened to fall. "And I should have saved her. I should have done something. That damn darkness won't leave her alone!"

"It's not your fault. The darkness was too strong, it overpowered the guard Kari had up." Ken told T.K, finally speaking up. His eyes were on the sand. "I could feel it. I could feel the darkness coming. I just tried to ignore it. I tried to push it away as a feeling that had no meaning. But it did…"

"What does it want with her?!" Tai shouted. "Kari practically radiates light. It can't take her away!"

"Tai," Izzy started. "Darkness can get to anybody. We're all susceptible to it. Some more than others. Kari tends to keep things inside, so she doesn't hurt others. The darkness feeds off of that."

"Kari and I talked about this. She told me she was going to be more open about how she felt. That she knew it was for the best to tell others how she was feeling. She promised," Tai told Izzy, staring at him coldly, straight in the eyes. "Kari doesn't break promises."

"That's not what I'm saying. I just think that we need to take a step back and try to figure out how to get Kari back, instead of standing here giving into hysteria!" Izzy retaliated, raising his voice a bit. Sometimes that was necessary with Tai; to get through his thick skull.

Cody nodded, agreeing. "Izzy's right. This has happened before and we've gotten Kari back. We can do it again."

Sora put a hand on Tai's shoulder, trying to comfort him. She was lost for words on what to say that would possibly ease his worry. She was staring over at Matt, who hadn't said a word. He hadn't made any sort of move to try and help T.K cope with this. He just stood there like stone, watching everybody.

T.K pulled the tiny box out of his pocket and whipped it into the sand. He stumbled, sprinting away from everybody. Matt didn't follow and Sora bit her lip, knowing somebody had to go talk to T.K. Yet, she felt she needed to stay with Tai, who wasn't very responsive.

Mimi watched T.K run off and looked over at Matt, as if expecting him to do something. When he didn't, she marched right over to him. "Yamato!" She scolded. "Go talk to your brother." But there was something different about Matt. Something in his eyes. You had to look deep to see it, but there was a strange emptiness about them. "Matt?" Mimi didn't understand what was going on. There was chaos all around her. The perfect beach day was ruined.

He reached out to Mimi suddenly and seized her wrist. "I had to do it!" He screamed, in a voice that was indeed his own, but not his words. Insanity coated his voice like a thick layer of frosting on a cake. "I had to kill her! She was out of control!" His grip on her wrist tightened and Mimi cried out.

"Mimi!" Yolei yelped. Ken grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it tightly, letting Joe and Izzy leap into action, trying to pry Matt off of Mimi.

"Matt, what are you talking about?" Mimi asked him, fear in her eyes.

"Matt, stop talking crazy. Let go of Mimi!" Joe said, his voice rising an octave higher than usual.

"Nobody understands!" Matt cried, pulling on Mimi's arm and then shoving her to the ground. Mimi looked up at him, afraid to move. "I loved her. That's why I did it. Somebody needed to save the Digital World!"

Tai and Sora were in awe, not sure of what the hell was going on. They stood there, unable to move as Joe asked Mimi if she was alright and Izzy and Cody tried to calm Matt down.

Yolei looked down at Ken's hand in hers and bit her lip, unsure of what to say or do in this moment. The chaos was unavoidable and closing in around them. What was going on with Matt? Had he gone mad? She desperately searched for an explanation when Ken spoke.

"He's possessed." Ken said blankly, no flicker of emotion on his face.

"By what?" Joe questioned.

Before Ken answered, Matt started laughing maniacally, pushing Cody and Izzy away from him.

"What is going on?" Tai practically demanded at Matt and whatever it was that was possessing him. He took a step forward. "I want my sister back now!" But he got no reply, just more hysteric laughter. Sora reached out for Tai and pulled him back, a look of concern spreading across her features all over again.

And then as soon as it began, it was over. Matt fell crumpled to the sand and sighs of relief were heard all around as the Digi-Destined tried to comprehend what had just happened. Some of them were lost in thought, standing completely still. Others knelt down beside Matt, trying to wake him.

* * *

Davis, however, was backing away from the situation, not wanting to even think about what he'd just witnessed. He concentrated on the blonde boy, sitting by the fire with his head between his knees and his hands clenching handfuls of his hair.

The tiny little box that contained the necklace meant for Kari had landed in front of Davis' feet. He had picked it up and was holding it delicately in his hands and found himself wandering over to where T.K was. He was worried about Kari as well. Everybody was, but he couldn't imagine what it was like for Tai or T.K. Davis knew T.K held strong feelings for Kari. Feelings that Davis was sure Kari probably would return, if the two would get around to it. He imagined that whatever was inside the box was T.K's way of trying to tell her how he felt. Although it stung to know that the girl Davis held a spot in his heart for, yearned for the blonde, Davis wasn't heartless. He may be dimwitted and headstrong, but he did know when it was time to bury his own feelings and help someone else out. He rushed after his friend and sat down beside him on the log. The fire was smoking and close to being completely extinguished.

Davis nudged T.K lightly. "You dropped something," He told him, softly. He held out the box and as T.K sat up, his eyes landed on the box again. The box that would never be in Kari's hand that contained the necklace that might never make it around Kari's neck. She had disappeared and what if he couldn't bring her back this time? He thought all of that had been done with. That the darkness had no reason to come after Kari anymore and that Kari was well protected; that she shielded herself. Doubt filled his mind as he took the box from Davis and stuffed it into his backpack. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Davis found himself lost for words and not wanting to make T.K upset. He basically just sat there in silence, digging his toes into the sand and listening to the arguments and such that were taking place among the other Digi-Destined. "Whatever it was," He began, staring up at the sky. "I'm sure she would have loved it." He offered a weak smile which T.K found impossible to return.

"Something weird is going on," T.K said, as if not acknowledging what Davis had said at all, although he had heard it. He knew how much it must of pained Davis to say that to him and he appreciated it, but he didn't want to get into that just now.

Davis nodded, agreeing. "I know. Something's happened with Matt. The others thought he was possessed by something or someone for a minute there. Nobody knows how to go about finding Kari or what danger there is. It's a mess."

"That's what bothers me the most. We can't just find Kari. It's not that simple. The Darkness can take her places we can't get to, unless we're invited. But I don't think we're on the guest list." T.K said, numbly and then his eyes flickered over to the others. "Is Matt alright?"

"I believe he's back to normal, yes." Davis said. He paused as he dug through his mind for something to say. "How did you get to Kari last time?"

"I don't know exactly…" T.K answered, hesitantly. He shifted on the log, hanging his head. "It was like she summoned me or something. It was…like nothing I've ever experienced. She was calling for me and I was able to get there because of her."

"Then why isn't she calling you now? Why can't she bring you there? You think she'd want help." Davis was completely baffled. It made no sense that they couldn't find Kari if all it took was for her to summon T.K. She would in a heart beat. So, why wasn't she?

"Look, Davis. I don't know." T.K ran a hand through his hair and got to his feet, slowly and uncertainly. "I suppose I should check on Matt." He shuffled over in their direction, with Davis not too far behind. Matt was sitting in the sand seeming to be awfully confused as the others relayed what had happened to him, the things he had said and done. Matt was in shock, having no memory of the minute or two at all.

Ken was searching for answers, looking deep in thought. He had felt something when the darkness was near. Had Matt as well? "Matt, did you feel odd or anything before Kari was taken away? Could you sense something?"

Matt considered the question for a moment and then simply shook his head. "I didn't feel as if something was taking me over, if that's what you mean. I didn't know the darkness was coming. Was it the darkness that took over me?"

"I'm not sure. It could be," Ken racked his brain, trying to connect everything. But so far, none of the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together. He was becoming frustrated.

"It's happened before," Sora interjected. "In the Digital World. It happened to Matt and then myself." Ken cocked an eyebrow, giving Sora his full attention. He nodded, as if to say, 'Go on.' "Matt was dealing with some…personal issues and he went off on his own, leaving the group. The darkness inside of him ended up creating this horrible cave that he could not get out of until he faced the darkness and proved it wrong. I had a similar encounter. I had been putting to much pressure on myself, whereas Matt had been thinking very lowly of himself as a person and a brother."

Matt winced as she told the story, remembering that day and how he had felt so detached from T.K, the others, and himself. He remembered how Gabumon had managed to help him and how he knew just how much he needed his Digimon partner from then on. Gabumon was his friend. He felt tears prick his eyes and willed them away, embarrassed. "But Sora, how could this have happened again? I'm more confident in myself than ever." He felt the lie roll off of his tongue and knew that he was no where near at his personal best. He'd been too worried about his band lately that he had neglected everything and anything else. He wasn't sure about anything anymore. He wasn't sure what would happen if he didn't have music and if he didn't have his band. Without them, he felt as if he was nothing. And that was how the darkness got to him, wasn't it?

"Can we stop analyzing this?!" Tai cut in, angrily. "It's getting us nowhere. The point is, I'm going to be going home without my sister and that's not going to go over well with me parents. We need to figure something out. Izzy, you're the intelligent one, come up with some genius plan. Where's Gennai when you need him anyway? Isn't it about time he provides us with some useful information?" He crossed his arms.

Izzy sighed. "Tai, it's not that easy."

The wheels in Ken's mind were turning as he opened his mouth to talk once more. "I believe that something was taking advantage of Matt's weakness to use him as a host. Someone or something wanted to talk to us. And by what they said, I'm not exactly sure what they were trying to let us know."

"They said that they had to kill her. That she was out of control…" Yolei said in a soft voice that faded off.

"Was it some sort of sick way of apologizing for killing Kari?" Davis wondered out loud. Tai nearly strangled him.

"He couldn't be talking about Kari! Why would they kill her? Kari is not out of control. She's fine. That message made no sense." Tai was babbling now, worried about his sister and if Davis had been right. Surely, he wasn't. He wasn't right often, but this could be that one time when Davis was right. _There's a first time for everything._

"Maybe so. Maybe it didn't make any sense to us now, but whatever that was wanted us to know something. Something about how they killed someone. They seemed to be defending themselves, as if the person needed to be put out of their misery or something." Izzy observed.

T.K tried to take it all in. Kari wasn't dead. She couldn't be. The darkness wouldn't just take her away to kill her. No, not at all. The darkness was using her for something as they normally did. "It wasn't the darkness that possessed Matt." He said, finally joining the conversation. He was sure of it, although he didn't know exactly what it had been either.

* * *

Kari wondered how much time had passed since she had left T.K and the others back on the beach, worried and wondering what could have happened to her. She imagined Tai's brotherly instincts kicking in and demanding that they find her. She tried calling for her brother. She had tried calling for T.K. Hell, she'd even tried calling for Davis. She was trying to keep positive, trying to light the Dark Ocean with her optimism. Unfortunately, it was seeping away and Kari's light was flickering out.

She was laying on a lawn chair. One of those old looking ones that is tattered and seems as if it would fall apart. She was looking out into a black ocean and feeling the breeze sweep her hair into her face. She shuddered, all warmth gone. No sunshine. No hope. She peered at the restraints that held her to the lawn chair, wanting to scream and shout until her throat went raw and numb. Although, she didn't waste her breath, because she knew that nobody would hear her cries.

_Hikari,_ That same chilling voice whispered in the wind once more. _Hikari…_ Her eyes darted in all directions, frantically. She did not know how she had even become held down by restraints. In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if she missed an hour of her time here. It seemed as if time was moving to fast for her to keep track of. Her mind was racing, as she tried to figure out what was going on and what the darkness wanted. This was paradise in the form of hell. _Hikari, you must finish what she failed to. _And then Kari felt the lawn chair, shaking and rattling beneath her. She could feel the darkness all around her, closing in and cutting off her air supply. All she could breathe in was this rancid air. All she knew now were these cloudy skies and colorless water and sand. Her scream got caught in her throat. _Finish what she started…_

* * *

**A/N: Shorter chapter than my others, but oh well. I thought this was the right place to end it! I love reviews! Let me know what you think!Right now there is just minor couple hints. But as the story goes on, you'll see them form more clearly. (: Thanks for reading!**


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